Mesmerized
by Subjockey
Summary: A routine dive goes terribly wrong for Lee Crane as Seaview and her crew deal with the fall-out.
1. Chapter 1

**Mesmerized**

By Subjockey

 **Chapter One**

He was floating, the thin air about ready to mercifully take his consciousness, hopefully before he became completely oxygen starved. The sea had been part of his life for so long, and now there wasn't anything left to do but let the sea claim him as her own. He was too weak to swim or fight any longer, and he sincerely hoped he'd get to skip those agonizing moments of complete oxygen deprivation, gasping for the life-sustaining gas that was dwindling out of his near empty tanks.

The floating feeling continued; it was almost peaceful, if he didn't succumb to the fear of suffocation, that is. Captain Lee Crane willed himself to calmness, and closed his eyes. His hands went limp as the underwater torch fell unwittingly from his grip. He opened his eyes in time to watch the light fall and disappear into the darkness, taking with it his only illumination. He was in the dark now, lost... alone... and dying. His eyes fluttered closed as he gasped unwillingly, sucking up the last remnants of his tank's contents as his body reflexively convulsed attempting to glean all the oxygen that was possibly left.

 _Oh God, it hurts,_ he thought in an unspoken prayer that the end would come quickly now that there was no longer any hope... and then there was nothing but blackness.

 **VTTBOTS**

 _ **Earlier that day...**_

"The sensors are highly sensitive and will need to be placed at twenty feet intervals for maximum coverage and efficiency," Harry explained to the dive detail to the tune of collective, "Aye Sirs."

"Now, does everyone have their assignments?" Lee asked, already suited up in his familiar yellow dive suit. Nods of affirmation followed as Lee continued. "Report to Chief Sharkey after you've placed each of your team's four sensors," he ordered, tilting his head toward Sharkey who was already stationed at a temporary workstation near the dive hatch to monitor the sensors as they were laid.

"And watch your mixtures," he admonished, "absolutely no over-extending your stay to place the sensors. Whatever doesn't get placed now will have to wait for the next dive team, led by Admiral Nelson. Mr. Morton's final dive will wrap up any loose ends we leave out here, so there's no excuse for a sloppy dive. Is that understood?" Lee stated, his question more an order than a request.

"Very well," Lee replied as three sets of the two-man teams acknowledged his command, each man qualified for the deep dive at 250 feet below the surface. He and Kowalski made up the fourth team as Seaview's men placed new and improved seismic sensors to monitor the known fault within the South Pacific region known as the Ring of Fire.

"Anything else, Admiral?" Lee asked, adjusting his tank in place as he spoke.

"No, I think we've covered everything. Just be careful out there, the area has been experiencing seismic clusters," he reminded the group. "Nothing over 1.8 on the Richter scale, but be aware and prepared," he admonished, before adding an extra affirming nod to Lee.

"We'll do, Admiral."

"Have a good dive," Harry replied to Lee's confident smile, indicating that he intended to do just that.

 **VTTBOTS**

It took two shifts through the vertical dive hatch to dispatch all eight men into the sea for their task. Lee and Kowalski were in the last shift, which gave the other teams a chance to reach their target coordinates. He checked the progress of his men and then proceeded to the furthest coordinates along the fault line. Lee didn't mind taking the longest swim and knew Ski, his regular dive partner, enjoyed diving as much as he did.

Like the rest of the dive teams, Kowalski and Lee each carried two sensors. They continued swimming to the target coordinates as Lee pointed to the intended location to place their first sensor.

"Okay Ski, place one here," he directed as Kowalski nodded, pulling a stake and weight from one dive bag as the two fastened an anchor before retrieving a sensor from his second dive bag, attached to his weight belt.

The sensors were pre-programmed aboard Seaview and activating the unit took only a moment as Lee entered the start-up sequence and then watched as the small indicator light flashed, then turned solid once the initiation cycle was complete.

"Dive Team Alpha to Chief Sharkey."

"Sharkey here, I read you loud and clear, Skipper."

"We've just set our first sensor," Lee informed, receiving an expected slight delay as Sharkey checked the transmission.

"Aye Sir, I'm reading it just fine."

"Very well, we'll proceed to our next location," Lee advised just as a cloud of sediment kicked up at their feet. A small rumble sent a bottom fish from its concealment in the sand as both men steadied themselves and then cracked adrenalin charged smiles once the small shaker subsided. With the excitement over, they proceeded to their next location.

Ski retrieved the next anchor, holding it in place as Lee hammered the stake into the sea floor. Once satisfied with their work, Ski pulled out his last sensor and secured it to the anchor as Lee activated the device and called in their progress to Sharkey. Lee couldn't help enjoy himself; he always found the dives to be one of the perks of commanding Seaview, knowing full well that sub captains in the Navy didn't have the same opportunity to get wet.

They proceeded to their third coordinates and followed the same pattern, working efficiently with the Rating who had become one of his most trusted men. They had come a long way from Ski's initial first impressions, when Lee belted the rating upon sneaking aboard Seaview on his first mission as temporary captain. Indeed, Ski was almost exclusively his dive partner; they just worked well together and Lee knew his back was covered, whether on a dive or when he tagged Ski for off-boat ONI excursions.

They were well on their way to placing their third anchor when another small shaker impeded their progress as silty sand fogged their view.

"Seaview, this is Crane, is the Admiral close by?" Lee asked, waiting for the silt and sand to settle enough to proceed.

"I'm here, Lee," Harry's voice chimed in.

"That was the third quake in thirty minutes, Sir, how do you read it?" Lee inquired, hoping they were within safety parameters to place the remaining sensors on this dive.

"All three quakes still registered under 1.8 magnitudes. The cluster is admittedly closer together than previous readings, but I see no reason to forestall the mission," he reported.

"Very well, we'll proceed," he said, pulling a sensor from his own dive bag as Ski secured it. Lee activated the sensor, reported in and moved to their last coordinates to place the last sensor. Both men carried their own underwater torches to light their way and were, by design, the team advancing the furthest from the Boat.

As they neared their last location, Lee could hear the other dive teams checking in, having placed all four of their sensors. Two teams were already being cycled through the dive hatch as the third team waited to lend their assistance if required.

Lee pulled out the fourth anchor, this time holding it so Kowalski could hammer it into place. Ski tapped on the stake when the ground started to shake once more, causing both men to stumble in the buoyancy of the water. A larger sediment stir followed as the rumble continued.

"That was way more than 1.8," Lee noted to his dive partner.

"It sure was, Sir," Ski agreed.

"Dive Team Alpha, report."

"We're okay, Chief, but if we get another shaker like that one, we'll call it a day and watch and wait from inside Seaview," Lee advised. "Are the other dive teams secured?"

"Teams Beta and Charlie are secure; Delta is waiting to board with you."

The ground shook once more, just as strong as the last quake as Lee shook his head.

"I think we'd better let things settle down a little, can't see much with the sediment anyway," Lee advised.

"Lee, this is Nelson," Harry broke in. "I think that's a good call, the last two quakes measured 3.1 and 3.3, a definite change to the recent activity," he observed.

"Very well, we'll abandon the dive," Lee acknowledged while yet another quake stirred sediments under them as they swam; the resulting shock wave sent a current of resistance, slowing their forward movement.

"Lee, that was 3.9, how close are you?" Harry asked, his voice full of concern.

"We can see Team Delta's lights up ahead," Lee replied, his breathing somewhat labored as the swim through the current required more energy.

"Good," Harry answered. "I..."

His next words were cut-off as the ocean became a violent churn of water with Seaview caught in the fray.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Harry was relieved that Lee and Kowalski were at least within sight. The readings from the newly laid sensors were showing much more instability that he had previously thought. The last quake of 3.9 had proven that the smaller, insignificant cluster quakes were definitely leading to a powerful show of the earth's power. But he would have had no way to know that the earth was going to take that moment to spew its fury.

" _We can see Team Delta's lights up ahead," Lee reported._

" _Good," Harry answered. "I..."_

His next words were interrupted as sonar suddenly reported, "Shock wave!"

But his warning was too late, as the sub-marine quake gave little warning to its deeds. The resulting shockwave sent Seaview's unprepared crew reeling against one side of the sub, before throwing them in the opposite direction as the sea churned mercilessly around them.

The inevitable rock and roll sent the Admiral sprawling across the deck; his hold on the conference table in the nose too precarious to keep him in place. The ride back and forth sent him careening with a thud and a grunt into FS1's deck hatch railing. Instinctively he latched onto the railing and held on for dear life as the sub tumbled back and forth, rocking and rolling several more times before the sea calmed.

The lights flickered off briefly before the red emergency lights kicked on as Seaview lost trim, sending the mighty submarine downward, nose heavy, and slamming into the ocean floor.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee and Kowalski swam in tandem, making their way to Seaview when the fault decided to let loose, unleashing a powerful quake that sent them rolling backwards as the sea churned in the turmoil. Suddenly, the ground burst apart as the sea floor beneath them split, separating the two men as a powerful gush of water spewed forth.

"Whoa!" Lee shouted as both men were tossed in two different directions.

The sudden gush caught Kowalski with a glancing blow, sending him tumbling head over heels as the unexpected powerful spray of water launched him in a violent twirl, until he floated to the sand limply.

Meanwhile, Lee was caught squarely within the surge of water as it propelled him along helplessly. He struggled as the current moved him along like an airplane riding the jet stream. He tried desperately to swim out of the current, but was locked in for the ride. He realized he was exerting too much energy and using too much air, as well as finding his arms becoming battered by the strong current. It was no use, he tucked his arms in and hoped that the freak phenomenon would die out soon enough for him to get his bearings and find his way back to Seaview... preferably before his air ran out.

 **VTTBOTS**

"Damage Control report!" Chip Morton ordered, picking himself off the deck and cradling his side. "And find out where our dive teams are," he added, "get those men back aboard!"

Chip turned, quickly assessing the condition of the Boat and spotted Admiral Nelson pulling himself slowly off the deck, using the railing from the flying sub's deck hatch to steady himself.

"Sir!"

Chip moved quickly across the deck, taking up Harry's side.

"Get a corpsman up here," he ordered.

"Belay that," Harry interjected airily. "Just got the wind knocked out of me."

"Are you sure, Admiral?" the first officer inquired, his blue eyes full of concern for not only Harry, but Seaview and the dive teams still unaccounted for.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, just see to the Boat," he said with his command voice in full gear once again. "What about the divers?"

"No word yet, Sir."

Chip swallowed back his own personal concern and turned back to the Control Room where Bobby O'Brien was fielding the Damage Control Reports.

"Bobby?" Chip's request for a status report understood in his one word.

"The Circuitry Room reported they've located the problem, they estimate about ten minutes to repair; we should have full power restored then, but DC reports a weakened frame between 36 and 40. DC is shoring it up now, but they recommend we sit tight until repairs are complete."

"Very well, what about the divers?"

"Chief Sharkey reports Team Delta is back aboard, they were pretty banged up outside."

Chip nodded, keeping his very real concern in check for the two missing men, one of which happened to be Seaview's Skipper and his best friend.

"He's suiting up and requesting permission to lead a rescue party," Bobby finished.

Chip turned toward Harry who had fully recovered and was listening to the report as well.

"What do you think, Sir?" Chip asked, the weight of sending more men out in the dangerous region weighing squarely upon his shoulders.

"The last quake was significant; we're sure to be experiencing aftershocks, but the sooner we bring them aboard the better."

"Aye Sir," he replied, reaching for the mic. "Missile Room, this is the Exec."

"Missile Room, Chief Sharkey here."

"Chief, get that rescue team in the water and recover our men; but be aware, aftershocks are a real possibility. The quicker you retrieve them the better."

"Aye, aye, Sir. Missile Room out."

Chip shipped the mic just as full power was restored. The red glow of the emergency lights was gone now, but everyone knew that the emergency was far from over with two divers still unaccounted for.

 **VTTBOTS**

Chief Sharkey shipped the mic and turned to his rescue team.

"Okay men, you heard Mr. Morton. Don't take any chances out there and keep in radio contact at all times. Stay with your partners and report any sign of missing the divers immediately. Let's get to it. It was a pretty rough ride and they may be in bad shape," he said, briefing his men and then nodding for them to enter the dive hatch.

 **VTTBOTS**

"Seaview to Team Alpha, come in Captain Crane."

Spark's hail was met once again with silence as he listened for any hint of response, while watching his S-Meter for any sign of a signal spike from the frequencies keyed into the two missing divers. He was about to flip the switch and hail again when the meter spiked, and a groan was heard. Quickly, Sparks changed to boat communications.

"Mr. Morton, I'm picking up something," he informed, before flipping back to the frequency he was monitoring.

"This is Seaview, I hear you Team Alpha. Report your position if able," he probed as both Chip and Harry made their way to the Radio Shack. The hail was met by another groan as Sparks tried again.

"This is Seaview, Team Alpha. I hear you. Can you report your present position?"

"I... I can see... Seaview..." a weary voice replied faintly.

"That's Kowalski," Chip said, identifying their diver.

Harry nodded and reached for the mic. "Kowalski, this is Admiral Nelson. Listen to me; we have divers in the water. Where are you in relation to Seaview?"

"Port side... about 300 degrees true..." he replied, his reputation of being Seaview's best sonar operator evident in his bearing report, despite being obviously physically impaired.

"Good. Kowalski, stay put the divers are on their way."

Harry kept the mic but waited for Sparks to inform the rescue party of Ski's position, then keyed the mic again.

"Kowalski, is Captain Crane with you?" he asked.

"Uh... I don't... I don't see him..." Ski replied, followed by an increase in labored breathing. Harry and Chip exchanged worried glances as Harry raised the mic again.

"Kowalski, stay put," Harry ordered. "The rescue team is on the way and you need to conserve your air," he admonished, hoping the Rating would hear the order and instinctively calm himself.

"Aye Sir," Ski answered, trying to bring down his breathing and movements as Harry had intended.

"Chief, where are you?" Harry inquired after a few moments of silence.

"I can see his torch up ahead. Man, is he out far," Sharkey replied almost to himself.

"Very well, report when you have him and continue the search," Harry replied, shipping the mic and making eye contact with Chip. "Sounds like he's going to need a corpsman."

"I'll see to it," Chip said, reaching for the mic as Harry blew a frustrated breath, silently contemplating the question they were all inwardly asking... Where was Captain Crane?

 **VTTBOTS**

A groan proceeded his eyes opening as Lee woke, finding himself lying on his side. A more careful assessment revealed he was on a rock cropping, jutting out over a very dark ocean under him. This was distressful enough, until he realized that Seaview's current position was nowhere near such terrain. He searched the ocean around him looking for Seaview's lights and sighed in the realization that he was too far to even catch a glimpse of the lights from her windows, or the forward flood lights that would no doubt be illuminated. Right now, the only light he had available was hanging from his dive belt, having secured his torch while handling the last sensor. He pulled the torch off his belt and leaned against the rock wall behind him, fiddling with his mic.

"Seaview... this is Crane, do you read me? Seaview, this is Crane, come in."

He tried several more times before giving up as he stopped to take inventory of his situation. First, he checked his dive watch... _Damn._.. he had less than ten minutes of air left, eight minutes to be exact. He verified it with a quick check of his oxygen levels, then leaned back further realizing he must have been unconscious for longer than he thought. Eight minutes wasn't near enough time to swim to the surface; he was at depth and would require decompression stops. The question of making a mad dash to the top wasn't even considered. Even if he made it, he much preferred death by suffocation to enduring the bends.

He took a shallow breath and tried his radio again.

"Seaview... this is Crane... come in."

The lack of radio communication was almost as oppressive as the darkness surrounding him. He now had six minutes of air and he was going to die… alone. The thought brought on a slight surge of melancholy, as he almost accepted his predicament as inevitable before he sat forward. Perhaps there was still something he could do... maybe it was too late for him, but at least his friends would have some closure.

Lee reached into his dive bag and pulled out the last sensor, keying in the sequence to activate it. His hands worked clumsily as he experienced uncontrollable tremors, shaking as the mixture thinned. Finally, after re-keying the sequence several times, he was rewarded with a flashing light, indicating the sensor was active.

" _Now to give them something to see_ ," he thought as he shook it violently, exerting more energy than he could afford. He wasn't delusional enough to believe that Seaview could possibly find him in time, this was for Harry and Chip and the rest of his crew.

His air was thinning noticeably with only three minutes of mixture left in his tanks, and was fully aware that the end would come soon.

"I hope you find it, Harry," he said aloud, placing the sensor back into the dive bag and leaning back, satisfied that his body might at least be recovered.

He started fiddling with his mic again, intending to try once more to reach Seaview, but decided against it. Though he would have found it comforting to hear their voices and to know he wasn't alone, the thought of his friends hearing him gasping for air was something he couldn't burden them with. Instead, he closed his eyes, attempting to go to his "happy" place; a little trick he learned when trying to find hope in desperate situations, usually when he found himself being tortured by enemy agents wanting information he couldn't give.

His air thinned and the first gasp broke forth as he willed himself to remember standing on Seaview's Bridge... on a starry night... with the wind in his... _Gasp!_

He fell forward, grasping for his chest as his lungs burned and holding onto consciousness by only a thin thread. He teetered and swayed as his strength waned, inadvertently losing his plant on the rock.

He was floating; the sea was taking him... maybe it was fitting to go this way...

The sensation of dropping into the darkness was surreal, until the burning in his lungs dictated an unfruitful gasp of air from the empty tanks. Then his hand went limp, inadvertently losing grip of his torch while he helplessly watched as his only light disappeared into the darkness.

He gasped again... _"Oh God it hurts!"_ And then there was nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thanks to all the readers, reviewers, those who are following on story and author alerts, and have favorited the story. You are awesome and I appreciate your reading and enjoying the story. Unfortunately, FanFic is having problems again with reviews. Historically the problem clears in 2-3 days and all the reviews you sent will be visible. I can still see them, so keep them coming! With all my thanks, Subjockey.**

 **Chapter Three**

Kowalski was wrapped up tight on the stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face as Sharkey watched and then checked the dive clock. Soon he would have no choice but to recall the rescue divers. They were currently at 250 feet, diving on a breathing mixture, and there were strict adherences to dive time limits that couldn't be overlooked. Besides, DC reported that repairs to the weakened frames would be completed soon, which meant they could leave the bottom and launch the flying sub to aid in the search.

Sharkey watched as Ski was carried out of the Missile Room. He'd been distraught and inconsolable upon realizing that the Skipper hadn't been found yet. Sharkey sighed. He knew just how the kid felt, but no one was feeling it more than Admiral Nelson and Mr. Morton. Both men were closer to the Skipper than anyone, and they, as much as anyone on board, knew that time was running out for Captain Crane.

Every diver there had been keeping track on their own watches. Every diver there knew that Captain Crane had only minutes of air left. There'd been no communications, and absolutely no sign of the Skipper. They had scoured the ocean floor looking for him.

Sharkey looked at his own watch yet again; the Skipper had been in the red for over five minutes.

"Call it Chief," Mr. Morton said, stepping up close and carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Bring the men in," he ordered.

"But Sir, maybe a few minutes more," Sharkey offered quietly.

"We both know he's been out of air for almost eight minutes, I can't risk those men's lives, not when FS1 can recover his body," Chip said, his voice breaking and his eyes demanding Sharkey's compliance.

"Aye Sir," Sharkey replied, instinctively glancing toward the Admiral, whose eyes revealed a man devastated by loss, despite his cool demeanor.

Sharkey reached for the mic and clicked.

"This is Chief Sharkey to all rescue dive teams. Abandon the dive. I repeat. Abandon the dive."

His order was immediately acknowledged as Sharkey lowered his head, pretending to study the sensor board he had been monitoring. _"What a waste,"_ he thought silently looking down at the devices that had inadvertently caused the death of Seaview's Captain. He sighed, shaking his head at the four sets of lights illuminated, indicating activated sensors. Four sets of four... _sixteen_ sensors.

Suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"My God! How could we have missed that!" he yelled in pained agony as both Chip and Harry turned toward his cry.

"Chief," Chip said, stepping in closer.

"Look Sir," he said pointing to the sensor board and specifically, the last sensor; number sixteen. "That was the Skipper's sensor. Well don't you see? He didn't have time to place that sensor, the quake hit first. Which means..."

"Which means he activated it to tell us he was still alive," Harry finished for him.

"But no one was monitoring the board," Sharkey said in self-recrimination, his voice breaking in emotion. _He had led the search party when he should have been right here at his station._ _If he had, maybe he would have seen the sensor activate._

Sharkey was devastated as he stared down at the sixteenth light illuminating brightly, when he felt a warm but firm hand on his shoulder.

"You couldn't have known, Chief," Chip said, his blue eyes holding back pools of his own grief as he held it together for the sake of the crew. "We looked everywhere," he continued. "It's not a transponder..."

"No," Harry interrupted. "It's not, but it _could_ be. With just a few adjustments to the receiver, we can pin point the sensor's location. At least we can bring him home," Harry said, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Meet me in the Nose once the dive teams are secured," he ordered Sharkey, not intending to let the COB suffer alone. They all needed something to do, and right now the rescue detail had just become a recovery operation.

 **VTTBOTS**

Harry and Chip walked to the Control Room in silence. Each one was lost in their own personal hell, but neither one could afford to let the pain in. Once his body was recovered, once they were back at port; but if they allowed themselves to feel the weight of their loss now, they would be no good to the crew. As they neared the aft hatch, Harry finally spoke.

"I'll be taking FS1 out to retrieve him once we have the sensor's coordinates," he said quietly.

"Aye Sir," Chip replied. "I'll have an honor guard ready."

Harry nodded, pursing his lips together tightly to keep his emotions inside.

"Sir... I'll need to inform the crew..."

Harry raised a hand to stop Chip's next words and then stopped in the middle of the corridor. He placed a hand on Chip's shoulder and squeezed, but never looked him in the eye.

"Just do what you need to do, lad," he said and then moved forward, stepping over the hatch and entering the Control Room.

Chip watched as Harry walked past all the duty stations and made a bee-line to the Nose. He stopped in front of the windows that made Seaview famous and gazed outside with his hands clasped behind his back.

Chip drew a deep breath in and then walked to the radio shack.

"Open up boat-wide communications, Sparks," he said reaching for the mic as Sparks made the connection, then nodded that he was ready.

"This is the Exec. It is my duty to inform you that the rescue mission for Captain Crane has become a Recovery Operation. As it turns out, Captain Crane was able to activate the last sensor, presumably still on his person. We will be launching FS1 shortly, and Admiral Nelson will lead the detail to recover the Skipper. Mourning bands are authorized and an honor guard will watch over the Captain until we arrive home. Until then, I know you will honor the memory of Captain Crane by continuing to perform your duties with the upmost professionalism that he expected out of each and every one of us. That is all."

Chip shipped the mic and made eye contact with Sparks, who nodded his support for the tough message the Exec had to give.

 **VTTBOTS**

Harry listened to the announcement keeping his face even, though his lips were pursed tightly. He continued to stare out into the sea as Chip informed the crew of Seaview's loss. When the announcement was over, he turned and headed for the conference table. The area had already been policed from their recent rock and roll as he sat down in front of the receiver he was using to monitor the sensors. He looked down almost absent-mindedly and then reached for the receiver to make the adjustments he needed to hone in on Lee's signal.

"Is there anything you need, Sir?" Chip asked, careful to keep his voice low.

"No," he answered, making eye contact with the blond. "Just get us off the bottom and ready FS1 for launch."

"Aye, aye, Sir," he said turning to walk away.

"And Chip..." Harry swallowed as the XO turned back. "Thank you for taking care of things."

"Anything, Sir. You know that."

Harry nodded and then busied himself with the adjustments, unable to allow himself to ponder the fact that Lee Crane had perished in the sea he loved so much.

 **VTTBOTS**

"Admiral?"

Harry raised his head to see the pained face of Chief Sharkey.

"Reporting as ordered, Sir," he said, trying to keep himself together, just like the Exec said.

The entire crew was subdued, and the Control Room was solemn with very little talking amongst the men. As he stood there, Mr. Morton gave the order to blow ballast. Seaview groaned as she ascended from the sand where she had previously crashed, even the boat was in mourning.

"Have a seat, Francis," Harry said, making the final adjustment on the sensor.

"Uh Sir? Did you see this?" Sharkey asked, looking over the data readout and spying the exact moment when Number Sixteen went online.

Chip turned upon hearing Sharkey's question and made his way to the table as well.

"Yes Francis, I did. Captain Crane activated the sensor only minutes before losing his air."

"That means..." Sharkey said, trailing off in emotion.

"The Skipper wanted us to find him," Chip finished for him.

"I'm sure for our sake, more than his," Harry added with a sigh, before moving on decisively to avoid becoming emotional himself. "Now let's get busy, Chief."

"Aye Sir," Sharkey said, leaning over and ready to help the Admiral in any way possible.

Chip returned to the Chart Table, leaning forward and absently studying the chart in front of him, before straightening himself. He had a job to do and gathered himself together.

"Depth, keel to bottom, Mr. O'Brien," he inquired.

"75 feet as ordered, Sir. Trim satisfactory."

"Very well, have FS1 prepped for departure," he ordered, pushing off the Chart Table and returning to the Nose. He needed to be near when they got the signal; to be part of locating Lee's body.

"This can't be right," Harry said, checking the Receiver and making sure it was functioning.

"Sir?" Chip inquired, stepping closer.

"The coordinates are almost a _hundred_ miles from here," he explained, astounded by the reading.

"Do you think a fish ate the..."

"Chief!" Chip interrupted sternly, the image of Lee being consumed by a shark or other predator unbearable at this point.

"The _sensor_ , Sir! Oh God, I meant the sensor," he pleaded clumsily.

"No... No, that's not it," Harry said shaking his head and chuckling.

Chip watched the Admiral carefully, not sure that he hadn't been adversely affected by the Chief's faux pas. The Admiral and Lee were close, like father and son even. _"Damn it, Sharkey,"_ Chip cursed silently as Harry's smile widened. The Admiral had held up so well up until now, but he couldn't help but wonder if Sharkey's slip of the tongue had driven Harry's grief over the edge.

Suddenly Harry burst out laughing. "Chip, get me a sea chart!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The pain that had reached its crescendo as his lungs cried for air had suddenly ceased; Lee remembered thinking he must be dead until he felt a strange sensation. He wasn't aware enough to begin to understand the feeling of his face mask and regulator being removed; indeed, he was too near death to respond. His eyes remained closed as he felt the life-sustaining sensation of air being forced into his lungs. Even as his body hungrily sucked in the oxygen, he couldn't respond; instead, sank further into unconsciousness. He was drifting in his state of near suffocation, and didn't even realize that he was now gliding through the deep with his regulator back in his mouth to prevent him from gulping in water.

He was guided by hands, propelling him upwards; taking stops at various points where his regulator was removed and more air was forced into his lungs. If he'd been lucid, he would have realized that those two hands were making sure to take decompression stops. Finally, he breached the surface as the regulator was pulled from his mouth and he reflexively gasped in air, too weary to peel his eyes open.

He had lost track of time, too busy choking in air, and was only vaguely aware that he was gliding again, this time on his back. With the ability to breathe once again restored, his awareness slowly returned. He opened his eyes into small slits, finding an arm about his neck in a standard rescue position, but he was too weak to find the face of whoever had saved his life. Instead, he looked up, barely understanding the white puffy clouds scattered across the blue sky above.

The strong, rhythmic splashing told him that his rescuer was well-adept in the water, a strong swimmer and showing no signs of growing tired. That was the last he remembered, until he felt the wet sand under him as he lay on a beach, only partially pulled from the water. The water lapped against his feet, his fins stacked neatly on the sand nearby.

He struggled to open his eyes, but his strength was gone, stolen from him in his near-death experience. With a sense that he was safe, his subconscious let go of even the tiniest thread holding him to the events around him and sunk into a deep sleep; a sleep so deep that he didn't feel his dive hood being removed or wet curls being fingered from his forehead.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee awoke curled on his side and shivering, which only aggravated his enlarged and raw lungs suffering from the effects of oxygen deprivation. He was weak and felt all the effects of his near-death experience, including a splitting headache. He started to rise, moving too quickly and triggered an uncomfortable session of dry heaves before he realized that he wasn't going anywhere just yet and concentrated instead, on determining where he was at present. The fact that he was on dry land was confusing; even in his compromised state, he realized that the nearest land from Seaview's last known position was nearly 100 miles away.

He closed his eyes in concentration, remembering the events leading up to his current predicament: the sensors, the sea quake, and the fact the he had run out of air mixture. It was only then that he realized that he was no longer wearing his tanks.

Lee reached up and rubbed his eyes, his hands shaking slightly, then dropped his arm clumsily, brushing against the dive bag still attached to his weight belt. _The sensor!_ He blew a grateful breath out, then reached in for the electronic device, relieved to see the light still illuminated. _It was active and still sending data!_ A tired chuckle escaped as he decided to send a little message. If he knew his crew, someone would be monitoring the sensors, and he'd bet his bottom dollar that "someone" would be Admiral Harriman Nelson.

He fiddled with the sensor, resetting the function to "Test" and then reinitiated the sensor. Then he gave it a good shake, figuring that should get someone's attention. He repeated the process one more time before laying the sensor in the sand beside him. He was sure he had added enough drama to the readings to get someone's attention. Even if Seaview missed it, the scientists monitoring the sensors at Pearl would be sure to question the strange readings and notify Harry.

On that thought, he closed his eyes. He was exhausted from the experience; battered by the freak current that had dragged him far from the Boat, and suffering from lungs aggravated from the effects of near suffocation. _Thank God, he wasn't reeling from the bends too._ That thought caused him to pop open his eyes as his mind desperately tried to grab onto just how he had ended up on the island in the first place.

 _Someone helped him_... it was just an impression; he had no real memory or anything to grab onto to explain why he survived and how he ended up here safe. All the impressions of his rescue by unseen hands were buried too deep for him to remember as he sighed wearily. He was too tired to think anymore, so he allowed his eyelids to drop closed. Another shiver assaulted him as the shade of a nearby palm tree draped across him, and fell asleep with his arm wrapped securely around the sensor.

 **VTTBOTS**

"Sir," Chip said, leaning over to encourage Harry quietly.

"There's no time for that, Chip," he replied, realizing that everyone thought he was off his rocker. "Just look at his," he said, his smile returning as he pointed down at the data sheet. "Look at the _depth_ , Chip. Sea level!"

Chip nodded, trying to appease the Admiral and looked down at the data sheet actively recording every little hiccup in the area. Each sensor was currently running very flat lines with small levels of activity, too light to feel without the electronic devices monitoring the region. He could see the last few aftershocks that had only minimally affected the boat, but his eyes were drawn to Number Sixteen where several readings were off the chart and antithetical to the other readings. The first one was the initial reading that cued them that Lee had activated the sensor as a homing beacon to find his body, but there were several other readings much more recent.

"I don't understand, Sir," Chip said, not convinced the anomalies proved anything. Lee had been lost in 250 feet of water, a dive so deep it required a breathing mixture, not ambient air. He just couldn't see how these readings, nearly an hour after Lee's tanks were empty, could possibly be anything but a fluke of electronics.

"Look Chip," Harry said, standing up and pointing down at the data sheet. "Before these last two readings, the sensors were cycled to 'Test' mode. Look! Here and here," he said, his elation coming under control as his hope returned. "And then they were _reinitiated_." Harry slammed his hand down on the table as every Rating in the Control Room who had been pretending like they weren't listening, turned toward the sound of the "slap" on the table. "There's no fish in the world that could have done that! Lee Crane is alive and he sent us a message telling us so!" he finished with a twinkle in his eye and his smile widening.

Chip studied the readings, wanting to make sure before allowing himself to believe. Finally, he shook his head and chuckled.

"Well I'll be..."

Upon his admission, the entire Control Room let out a holler of celebration.

"All right men, settle down," Chip admonished with a relieved smile. "Your orders, Sir?" he said turning to Harry who was busy writing down coordinates.

"Chief Sharkey and I will launch FS1, I want the Doc aboard," he ordered, uncharacteristically animated and rushing to the Chart Table to look for his destination. "Aha! Just as I thought," he said excitedly. "It's an island, Chip! The sensor is smack dab on an island," he finished, tossing his pencil on the table and turning for the deck hatch. "He's alive, Chip. I know it."

"Aye Sir," Chip replied, reaching for his black arm band and removing it in a show of faith in the Admiral. "Godspeed Sir."

Harry's expressive eyes twinkled, his delight evident as he nodded.

"Come on, Chief."

"Aye, aye, Sir," Sharkey replied enthusiastically, his smile widening as the weight on his shoulders suddenly lifted. _Yes Sir, the Captain was alive all right!_

He followed the Admiral down the hatch grinning like the Cheshire cat as the solemn mood in Seaview's Control Room had suddenly shifted to controlled elation, with each rating manning their station with extra diligence to do their part in bringing the Skipper home.

 **VTTBOTS**

The mood of the three occupants of the Flying Sub had turned from elation to guarded hopefulness as the question of how Lee Crane could end up a hundred miles from his last known coordinates, alive and on dry land no less, occurred to each one. The questions were temporarily filed as each one contemplated the possible alternatives to the sensor's strange readings, including the possibility that someone else could have activated the sensor. That thought was dismissed as it would require some knowledge of the sensor sequences. The more they thought about it, the more it didn't add up.

Harry had taken FS1 to the air and had covered the distance quickly, even at sub-Mach speeds.

"There she is, Sir," Sharkey said, pointing out the small island up ahead.

The coordinates indicated an approach from the west as Harry lined up for the set down. He was vectoring in on the signal and noticed that the convergence was leading to a small lagoon.

"There he is, Sir!" Sharkey exclaimed, lowering the high-powered binoculars. "It's him for sure, I can make out his dive suit," he added, referring to the Skipper's undeniable yellow suit.

Harry nodded, keeping his own hope tamped down until he knew for sure. The questions of how Lee ended up here were just too pressing, so he unconsciously shut down his emotions until he saw Lee for himself.

He sat FS1 down in a perfect water landing and motored the yellow craft into the lagoon, concentrating on the yellow form lying on the beach as Jamieson unstrapped and gathered his bag, ready to disembark with visions of a man in the throes of acute decompression sickness playing in his mind.

"Seaview, this is FS1," Harry reported.

"Seaview here. We read you, Admiral," Chip's voice responded.

"We have a visual on the Captain, stand-by," he reported, fingering off his connection and concentrating on beaching the flying sub. A moment later they were ashore as the Admiral quickly shut down the engines.

"Crack the hatch," Harry ordered, swinging the pilot's chair around as Sharkey opened the side cargo hatch then stepped aside for the Doc and the Admiral to disembark while he secured FS1.

 **VTTBOTS**

Jamieson hovered over Lee, checking his carotid pulse first and feeling a strong heart beat beneath his two fingers.

"He's alive," he breathed out, before digging into his bag to conduct a thorough assessment of his patient.

"Lee," Harry said with a hand on his shoulder, relieved that he was alive. But there were strange circumstances at work here and he had no way of knowing how long Lee had been without air. The first reading of the sensor was at depth with only minutes of mixture. Just how he had ended up on an island a hundred miles from where they started was a mystery. The question burning inside him was whether Lee had suffered brain damage due to oxygen deprivation.

"Lee," he called again.

An airy breath greeted him as Crane rolled to his back and blinked.

"Harry?" he whispered, his voice dry and scratchy.

"Everything's alright, lad. How did you get here?" Harry asked, relieved he had recognized him.

"I... don't know. Someone helped me... I think," he said as Jamieson placed a stethoscope on his chest and listened.

"Who?" Harry asked perplexed.

"Don't know." He took a deep breath. "I remember my air running out..." his voice cracked, as the emotions of his impending death rushed back through him momentarily.

"Skipper, it's me Will. I need you to rest now. We'll hash everything out later," he ordered, shooting a "no more questions" look over at the Admiral.

"Okay," Lee replied, too tired for any other response.

Jamieson called for the stretcher as Lee faded out once again. He didn't understand his fatigue; all he knew was that he was safe now. His body latched onto that knowledge and sent him into a deep sleep.

"Well, Will?" Harry asked, as they strapped Lee onto the stretcher.

"He's stable, Admiral. I spotted a few air bubbles in his eye exam, but I'd say it's a very mild case of decompression sickness. I don't know how he managed to do it, but it looks like he took the time to decompress, for the most part anyway, but the sooner we get him back to sickbay, the better. I'm going to run him through a complete 250-foot dive cycle in the hyperbaric chamber, just to be on the safe side."

"Then he's going to all right?"

"I'll do a more thorough exam in sickbay, but right now I'd say he's going to be fine." Jamieson chuckled in relief, running a hand across his neck and shaking his head in faux disbelief. "I don't know how to explain his condition, Harry. I expected to find him in much more need of medical care," he admitted, relaxing his decorum with his old friend.

"I don't know either, Will. The prevailing current shouldn't have brought him to this island. He had to have had help from someone," Harry noted with fervor.

Will raised an eyebrow.

"Do you believe in angels, Harry?"

Harry stared out to the sea and nodded.

"I believe that Lee Crane must have an entire _legion_ of guardian angels watching over him," he said with a small smile to Will's soft flow of relieved laughter.

Sharkey joined in, shaking his head as he picked up the opposite end of the stretcher and helped the Admiral carry Captain Crane to the flying sub, grateful that the mission had turned out to be a rescue operation after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Chip stood at the window of the Hyperbaric chamber watching his sleeping friend. Lee looked much more relaxed than when they had brought him in several hours ago. He had woken enough as they prepared to lift him into Seaview to shoot a tired smile to his best friend.

" _Later," he said, promising to talk with Chip when he felt better._

 _That one word, issued with the friendship in Lee's eyes had gone a long way in easing the roller coaster of emotions Chip had been riding since the near disaster ensued. Then in true Lee form he rallied for a question._

" _Ski?"_

" _We found Kowalski, he's in sickbay but Doc says he'll pull through just fine. And before you ask, Seaview is good."_

 _Lee smiled weakly as he was hoisted up for the ride to sickbay._

" _Okay Skipper," Will intervened with a hand to his shoulder. "Just enjoy the ride."_

It was hard to tear away from the viewing window after nearly losing his best friend, but he needed to check back into the Control Room. Lee would be decompressing for several more hours yet; for now, he was satisfied with watching his chest rise and fall under a restorative slumber. He stepped back from the window and headed back feeling somewhat refreshed.

 **VTTBOTS**

Chip arrived in the Control Room and checked in with Lt. Carson. They were currently stationed one hundred feet over the sensors they had just placed and everything was nice and quiet, so he left the Con with the junior officer and headed to the Front Porch where Admiral Nelson was studying the recent readings from the sensors.

He walked straight for the side board and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Refill, Sir?" he offered Harry.

"No thanks, Chip. I'm good," he replied, motioning for Chip to join him at the table as he leaned over to confer privately.

"I haven't got any clues, Chip," he admitted. "We took FS1 over the new fissure that opened up. There's no doubt the current produced from the sudden surge of water was what swept Lee away, but I can't for the life of me figure out how he managed to activate the sensor here," he said pointing down at what he had labeled 'A' on the readout, "and then end up resetting and reactivating the sensor here," he said pointing to points 'B' and 'C'. "There's too much depth, not to mention miles between these points, especially when Lee's tanks were already empty," he explained.

"Maybe when Lee wakes?" Chip offered, wrapping both hands around his mug and letting the heat ease away the remains of the stressful day.

"Perhaps, he had an impression he had help, but didn't remember who. The last thing he remembered was running out of air," Harry said, as both men winced inwardly at the memory that moment brought back on the boat when they knew his tanks were empty.

"Maybe we'll never know," Chip replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe not," Harry agreed, sitting back and sighing. "I hear Cookie made meatloaf," he said in a sudden shift of subjects.

"Aye Sir, that was the rumor," Chip replied with a smile; both men knowing that Cookie never made meatloaf without offering applesauce cake. It was worth putting up with the dehydrated mashed potatoes and frozen peas any day.

They headed out the aft hatch leaving behind a peaceful Control Room, as the crew's mood had changed significantly upon the Skipper's return and positive prognosis.

 **VTTBOTS**

"A wall of water rose up underneath me," Lee explained, lying back on several pillows and tucked into a bunk in sickbay. "It just swept me away. I tried to fight the current but it was too strong, I blacked out and woke up on a rock outcropping overlooking a deep crevice."

"Is that where you activated the sensor?" Harry asked to Lee's nod.

"Yeah. I checked my dive watch and gauge; I knew I only had about eight minutes left. The radio was dead and I was still at 250 feet, not enough time to decompress. I figured fighting my way to the top wouldn't be worth the bends when I got there," he said without emotion as Harry and Chip both nodded their understanding knowing that Type 2 DCS almost always ended badly without immediate treatment. It was an excruciating way to die, that would have probably resulted in Lee drowning as he would have been unable to tread water while in the throes of decompression sickness.

"And you actually remember running out of mixture?" Harry probed.

"Most definitely," he replied, with the hint of the haunting memory still fresh in his eyes. "I blacked out; the next time I came around I was getting a buddy breath," he said, "at least I think so. I don't know how I got to the top but I had the impression someone was with me. I was on my back and I remember seeing the blue sky above and the clouds... and then I was on the island," he said with a shrug.

"Alone?"

"Yeah," he said with a raised eyebrow. "It's a mystery to me, Admiral. Frankly, I'm just as surprised as you to be having this conversation," he said, lowering his head and looking through his lashes to make eye contact with his friends.

Harry cleared his throat; the near disaster still too fresh in his own mind.

"Well, Will seems to think you had a guardian angel looking over you," Chip interjected with a smile, trying to lighten the mood of the heavy conversation.

Lee laughed. "I can't deny that. I just hope I didn't use up all my brownie points on this one," he said as all three men enjoyed a good chuckle.

"So, what about the mission?" he asked, lying deeper into his pillows and looking noticeably tired.

"We're monitoring the activity. If everything remains stable, we'll place the next set of sensors tomorrow," Harry replied.

"May I suggest you break the dive into two shifts, so that no team is out as far as Ski and I were?"

"That's a good call for the unpredictability of the fault. Frankly, this mishap only goes to show how important this project is," Harry added.

Lee yawned as Harry suppressed an outright laugh. He stood and placed a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"I have some work to do before I turn in tonight. Goodnight Lee."

"Goodnight, Sir.

Harry lingered a moment, making significant eye contact with him.

"It's good to have you back aboard, Lee."

"Thanks Harry, it's good to be back."

Harry nodded and left as Chip moved to the closest chair and sighed.

"So, how are you doing... _really_?" he asked point blank.

Lee responded with a tired sigh, speaking softly and letting down his guard with his long-time friend.

"I thought I was going to die, Chip. It's uh... scary, humbling even."

Chip nodded, lowering his head before raising his eyes to speak.

"So, what do you think happened?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders in wonder. "An angel?"

"I don't know, maybe. Maybe it just wasn't my time to go."

"I couldn't be happier about that, Buddy."

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it myself," Lee replied with a smile. "Look, you promise me that you and Harry will be careful out there."

Chip raised a hand in assurance.

"It's already been discussed. We'll call the dive if the ground so much as burps."

"Good," he said, unable to suppress his yawn.

"Listen, I'm going to pinch hit for you and walk the boat," Chip said, standing and smiling. "Everyone wants to know how you're doing; it'll give them a chance to get it out of their systems."

"Pat the bulkhead between the windows in the Front Porch for me; tell her I'll be back soon," Lee said.

"Seriously?" Chip questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Lee laughed out loud. "No, but everyone thinks I talk to her. I swear they watch me in the Control Room to see if I do it every night."

Chip laughed, joining in the joke.

"You mean you put on a show for them every night?"

Lee raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "It's good for morale."

"Catch you later, Lee," Chip said, still chuckling as he walked away.

Lee waited until Chip left sickbay and then reached over and laid his palm against the bulkhead. His smile faded as he drew a breath in. When he was on that ledge, running out of air, he didn't think he'd ever see his friends or Seaview again. He closed his eyes and soaked in the feel of the boat beneath his hand, feeling the minute vibrations that most people missed, before making a promise to his grey lady.

"I'll be back up there soon," he whispered. He finished off with a pat, figuring that would hold her over until he could get up to the Front Porch and do it right, then settled into the bunk, grateful to be alive and back aboard his best girl.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Lee's recovery went well; he had spent several days in sickbay before being released to his cabin. It was a week before he was back at the helm, though he spent a good deal of time on the Front Porch during his recovery. The sight of the Skipper wearing a long sleeve shirt tucked into blue jeans served to remind the crew of his recent ordeal as Doc Jamieson had stipulated that his uniform was off-limits to avoid any temptations to work.

The questions continued to niggle in the back of everyone's minds concerning Captain Crane's brush with death and just how he had managed to survive. Everyone knew that some strange force had intervened and the theories running rampant through Seaview's Grapevine ran from the probable to the ridiculous.

Some had decided that he had been saved by a passing Russian submarine whose crew took pity on their fellow sailor, and had snatched him from the water only moments before his death. This would, they surmised, have accounted for his lack of serious decompression sickness and how he ended up deposited on an island a hundred miles away.

Other theories were less than probable, such as being saved by a school of dolphins that were attracted to his yellow suit and took him to the surface to play with him like a beach ball. Still another theory was that the Skipper had been snagged by a passing fishing boat, trolling for bottom fish. Of course, this theory couldn't explain his obvious decompression, but the ratings dedicated to the idea decided that the fisherman deposited him on the island to avoid any messy questions regarding their not-so-legal cargo on board.

The most prevalent, and the crew decided a more _likely_ theory, was that Captain Crane had indeed been rescued by an angel. Stu Riley decided it was a Sea Angel, but most figured the Skipper had several guardian angels keeping tabs on him.

The questions followed them home to port, but eventually the memory of Captain Crane's near death passed in the way of a dozen other unexplainable events the crew had recently been faced with. Even Lee had to finally let the questions go. No matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn't pull any more details from his memory than what he had originally said; that _someone_ had helped him. It was harder for Harry to let go; though he didn't voice his questions, his inquisitive mind often thought back to that day. Eventually, he decided to accept the happy outcome for what it was; a miracle… an unexplained gift that had returned his good friend, captain, and almost son to him.

It was looking like they would never know what really happened until a very routine mission suddenly joined the lore of Seaview's fantastic journeys, leaving them with an experience so incredible, they didn't dare share it with anyone else.

 **VTTBOTS**

 _ **Over One Year Later...**_

Seaview was stationed on the ocean floor in less than sixty feet of water. Rich vegetation swayed in the currents outside the submarine's unique windows. Their mission... to conduct a census on the sea life of the area, specifically, seals.

Chip had already complained at the boring job of counting the noses of seals while Lee just shrugged his shoulders and smiled weakly, then went forward to make a visual count.

 **VTTBOTS**

The great vessel with windows had returned to her part of the ocean once again. It wasn't the first time she had spotted it and since the colony's territory was hundreds of square miles she had had the opportunity to watch the vessel several times before. It wasn't by chance or serendipitous luck that she found the vessel in the vast ocean, but because she had continued to maintain her _connection_ with the human she had saved from the depths over twelve moon phases ago.

She had tapped into his mind but had stopped short of mesmerizing him, leaving him without any memory of her aid that fateful day. Her friends in the grotto often told her that it appeared the dark-haired human in the yellow diving suit had mesmerized _her_ instead! It was partly true, she surmised, as she couldn't help but ponder if he was ready yet to leave behind his lungs and join her in the grotto. Was his hold on land stronger than her powers of mesmerizing? She thought of him often remembering the day she found him.

 _A pair of eyes watched from the edge of the grotto. Eyes well adapted to the darkness and able to see with clarity the human on the rock face so near the entrance of their home. She had found him quite serendipitously, out swimming with the sea creatures and enjoying the freedom of the ocean currents rushing through her gills. Her lungs were quite small and useful for only small amounts of time in the air, but allowed for playful times with the seals on the rocks where she would bask in the sunshine from time to time. But her home was in the sea, where her strong caudal tail propelled her through the water as elegantly as the dolphins she swam with. She was as strong a swimmer as the sharks, with whom she enjoyed a symbiotic relationship, and subsequently had no fear of becoming its next meal._

 _A mermaid never had a choice of leaving the sea for the land, unlike the fairy tales the humans told, but there was a way for humans to join her world. It required the human giving up his lungs for gills, a transformation that would eventually exchange his legs for a tail as well. Once the transformation was complete, there was no going back. It was a hard transformation for those who had agreed when they were snatched from death's door by drowning and saved by a passing mermaid, only to regret leaving their old lives behind. But once the transformation was complete, the human would forever be part of the Grotto; the safety of the entire community required that the humans never find their home beneath the sea. To this end, transformed humans were kept in their state of mesmerization, offering them a blissful existence without the burdens of the memories of their former life. Therefore, transformation of humans had long-since been frowned upon._

 _Carista watched as the human fiddled with his equipment, and marveled at the yellow dive suit he wore, thinking it was very becoming to his frame. Her green eyes tightened as she realized that his breathing was irregular. She looked about, making sure she was alone and then reached out with her mind to hear his thoughts. The process was only a step away from the technique of mesmerizing, as she tapped in to feel his pain; he was aware of his own imminent death and yet he exuded great strength in keeping the terror of his impending demise from overtaking him. Her heart stirred as images of his love for the sea flashed in her mind, his strong sense of duty to his vessel and his friends, as well as his strong will to survive and persevere. She had tapped into the very deep thoughts that made him who he was and couldn't help but be drawn to him._

 _Intervening in the human world wasn't wise, but she couldn't help herself. Right then she made a decision, but she'd have to wait until he was unconscious. She delved deeper into his mind and felt his physical pain as he gasped for air and then couldn't take it any longer, using her telepathic powers to inject a fleeting, floating moment of peace. She should have left it at that, intervening to give the human some measure of peace before he died, but the deeper connection only stirred her more. He gasped again and she snatched his consciousness away to spare him the final moments and perhaps, give her time to save him._

 _Quickly she swam, reaching for him before he sank deeper into the crevice beneath the grotto and pulled him upwards. She stopped to remove his face mask and gazed upon his features, then removed the regulator and blew air into his lungs. His body received it hungrily as she gave him what her lungs had in storage, then replaced his regulator and swam. As she swam, her gills did their job of gleaning oxygen from the water, converting most to her underwater needs and the rest into her lungs for use later._

 _She stopped their ascent when he winced, as his lungs burned for more air. She forced air into his lungs, transferring her own tri-mix, her body's natural gas adaption for deep sea swimming, before proceeding upwards once again. She repeated the process four times before broaching the surface giving him needed air, and allowing his body to dispel excess gasses in his bloodstream to prevent the bends. She was extremely pleased that he had endured the process so well. If he hadn't been a trained diver, he might have panicked each time his lungs burned before receiving another transfer of air. Once they reached the surface, she removed his regulator as he gasped; sputtering and coughing as he reflexively filled his lungs._

 _Quickly, she turned him on his back, finding his air tanks to be bothersome. He didn't need them anymore, so she unfastened the straps and slid the tanks off, allowing them to fall to the depths as she tucked him under her arm and swam for the nearby island, a small deserted oasis in the middle of the ocean._

 _As she swam, she was aware that the human had woken, though he was barely lucid. She neared the island wondering how she was going to deposit him without him seeing her, when he lost consciousness once again. She smiled and brought him to the lagoon, able to pull him only partially from the water as her tail fin offered little mobility on land._

 _She should have left him right then, but he was physically suffering from near suffocation, and she sought to make him more comfortable._

 _The dark-haired siren spoke no words as she caressed the angles of his jaw, wiping beads of sea water from his brow and memorizing each line of his face. Then she reached for the zipper on his dive suit, lowering it slowly to allow him to breathe easier. Carista tugged the zipper down to his mid-section then moved the yellow dive suit to one side and dropped her head to lie on his chest. She listened for his heartbeat, reveling in the faint but steady beats under her ear and lingered there longer than necessary, heaving her shoulders in relief. He was a strong swimmer to go as long as he had without oxygen; she only hoped that she had gotten to him on time. But that question would have to be answered by the humans; she couldn't allow him to see her. She continued her ministrations by removing the fins from his feet and stacking them on the beach beside him, then returned to admire his feet. She marveled as the waves gently lapped over his bare feet and fantasized about how he would look with a strong tail. He would make a handsome mate, she decided, and returned her attention to his face._

 _She hovered over him, her wet hair dripping droplets of water, cascading down her neck and onto her bosom which was covered with two well-placed sea leaves, adorned decoratively with sea lilies forming a bikini top of sorts. Her tail splashed whimsically behind her, as she lowered her head once more onto his chest, satisfied with the slow but steady rise of his chest. She looked back into his face, knowing she was risking far too much staying this long, but unable to tear herself away just yet. Slowly she lowered herself and placed a much-desired kiss on his lips and then rose, placing three fingers on his forehead. In his mind, she could see that he had no memory of her aid and smiled._

"Carista!" _she heard, but not by human ears, nor was the sound audible though she had ears to hear when on land. She turned to see her father emerging from the sea with Centurion close behind._

"Is he well?" _he asked, looking over the incapacitated man on the beach, and withholding his admonishment over intervening in the human world._

"Yes, he is breathing again," _she reported telepathically, wondering if her father saw her "connection" with the dark-haired human, whom she now knew was called, Lee._

"Then why do you linger? Come my daughter, we must go. The others will find him," _he assured her._

 _Carista nodded and then turned back to the unresponsive man only partially pulled from the water. She caressed his face once again, finding it hard to leave and clearly enchanted by his handsome face._

"This one loves the sea, but he is too full of life to give up his lungs for you my daughter _,"_ _her father wisely noted, his ability of reaching into human minds even more powerful than her own._

"I know, my father. I... connected with him momentarily," _she admitted._

"That was unwise, my Sea Turtle," _he said, using his fatherly term of endearment as his large tail fluttered in the water behind him._ "Now we must leave, remove your mark from his memory. Leave him no means to find you again."

"Yes father," _she agreed, placing three fingers back on his forehead. She bit her bottom lip, deciding in an instant that she wasn't ready yet to release him from hearing her call just yet. Instead, she buried her call deeper within him and then turned back to her father._ "He has no memory of me," _she announced truthfully, but not revealing the fact that she had left her beckon buried deep within him. Someday she would seek him out again, perhaps then he would be ready to leave behind his world on land and join her in the grotto._

"Good," _he replied._

"But he's shivering," _Carista noted with concern_ _._

"Centurion will pull him from the water, but we must leave before he recovers and awakens."

 _Carista nodded. She was ready to leave, now that she had ensured that she could seek him out again, and retreated back into the sea as Centurion stepped forward. The green-gilled fish creature walked on two legs from the water to the beach. He looked down at the human and snarled, having vocal chords which were useful while on land. He picked up Lee by the shoulders and hauled him further up the beach and out of the water, taking the time to erase his prints from the sand, before retracing his steps back to the lagoon._

"It is done. Now we must go," _her father announced as Carista took one last look at her human, concealing her smile behind her pursed lips, then followed her father's lead, diving with a splash of her tail into the sea. Centurion followed, also taking one last look at the human and growling his displeasure. He knew humans were not easily transitioned into the colony and frowned upon her interest in him; it only made his job of protecting the colony more difficult._

 _The human moaned, indicating his wakefulness was returning as Centurion turned and dove into the water, his dorsal fin disappearing under the water in one swift movement. Behind him, the human groaned and curled up on the beach, shivering violently, despite the tropical climate._

Carista smiled at the memory, it was always pleasant to think upon that day, but today even more so. Carista had felt his return and traveled to where his vessel was stationed, just for the opportunity to see him again. The windows of his vessel offered a temptation too hard to pass up as she watched him, concealed in the vegetation like a chameleon. He was alone, and as he neared the window her heart leapt. She had to know if he was ready to give up his lungs and took the first step to mesmerizing, revealing herself.

He looked up and saw her, his face full of surprise and wonder. She watched as he turned and called to another human and concealed herself once again. The look on his face when she disappeared was delightful; he was curious, that was a good sign. Once he was alone, she revealed herself again, this time tapping into his curiosity using the connection she had placed in him a year ago. She disappeared again, the game of cat and mouse only serving to feed his curiosity. The curiosity grew stronger, becoming more of an unexplained drive within him. She smiled as she swam away knowing she had successfully mesmerized him, leaving him with a burning desire to find her; one that would only grow until he was successful in his quest. He thought it was his own scientific curiosity, but she knew she had him hooked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"No!" Harry yelled, frustrated that Lee was on a mermaid hunt when he had a secret mission in his top drawer that he couldn't even divulge until Washington gave him the go ahead. The whole thing had been an unwanted distraction; he needed Seaview's captain on his game for the mission.

 _To be fair, Lee wasn't even privy to the information in the folder yet, but hang it all if that wasn't the point!_ Harry huffed to himself.

He blew an indignant breath out after Lee left his office. _A mermaid indeed!_ Harry reached for the drawer and retrieved the file folder, pulling out the top-secret orders that would be activated once all diplomatic ends had been exhausted at the Nuclear Disarmament Conference. An unfriendly nation had secretly planted a nuclear bomb capable of electronic detonation off California's coastline in the hopes of disrupting the delicate nuclear balance after the Disarmament had begun. With all the nations lowering their stockpiles, the unfriendly nation would find itself holding quite a loaded gun over the western world. Washington didn't want to risk the positive outcome of the Conference by having the nations reacting in fear and sought to find and disarm the bomb to neutralize the threat. To this end, they had ordered Seaview to conduct a marine census in the area, to be ready to conduct the search as soon as the disarmament was agreed upon.

Only the Admiral was privy to this information, having received the top-secret communique earlier in the day. It was a delicate matter. Washington didn't want to tip their hand that they knew about the bomb, as their well-placed inside contact would be compromised. At the same time, they didn't have exact coordinates, so there was still the matter of locating the bomb. The seal count was a weak, but probable cover for Seaview scouring the ocean floor. Once the bomb was located, it would have to be manually deactivated to keep the unfriendly nation from using it to remold the political shape of the world. It was a risky game with dire consequences if Seaview couldn't locate the bomb.

Harry shook his head once again, completely annoyed with Lee's insistence that he saw a mermaid, much less his desire to go traipsing off looking for it. The whole thing had been amusing enough when he first described seeing her through the windows. Even Chip had raised an eyebrow when all he saw was a diving seal. So, he was surprised when Lee persisted in his assertion that there was no doubt at what he saw. His amusement turned to annoyance at his captain's almost child-like whine to send the multi-million-dollar nuclear submarine with nuclear capable missiles on a _mermaid_ hunt! He put his foot down, slamming the proverbial door squarely in Lee's face. True, he had stepped on his captain's toes, but damn it all if they didn't have a dangerous mission with all the earmarks of disaster waiting to be activated at any moment now!

Harry reached for his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes, in real need of a stress reducing drag about now. He lit the coffin nail and blew a nicotine laden puff of smoke out, huffing his displeasure.

 _A mermaid indeed!_

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee left Harry's office and headed straight for his cabin, pacing the deck like a caged lion. He just didn't understand it! He leaned against his bunk, trying to calm himself, but only found himself more agitated, the need to find the mermaid driving him in ways he wasn't even aware of.

He struggled to see Harry's point, completely unaware of the secret orders in the Admiral's desk.

 _Seaview was a scientific vessel, commissioned to explore the deep. So why weren't they exploring the greatest possible discovery in the history of the ocean?_

He pushed off the bunk and paced a few more times before breathing deeply and heading back to the Control Room, attempting to follow orders and concentrate on his current duties. Uncharacteristically, he couldn't get the mermaid off his mind.

"I don't understand it," he complained to Chip. "He's always been open minded about things like this in the past," he lamented. "And a thing like this, you'd think he'd be a little curious?"

Chip raised an understanding eyebrow. "Maybe he's got more important things on his mind right now," he offered, trying to get Lee to drop the whole thing and move on.

"Maybe," he conceded outwardly. "When do we surface next?"

"1400 hours, about thirty minutes," Chip answered, checking his watch.

"That would put us here at this island," Lee considered, scanning the chart. "I'll be in the Missile Room if you need me in the next fifteen minutes," he announced abruptly, before heading aft.

Chip watched him walk away, not used to seeing Lee so committed to something that wasn't vital to a mission. It just seemed like he wasn't himself. He blew out a breath of concern and shook his head slightly then turned to the chart table to navigate the next coordinates for the census.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee returned to his cabin, having secured the equipment he needed to conduct his own scientific exploration. He had just left an obedient but bewildered Chief Sharkey in the Missile Room. He was bucking his own safety orders by taking the raft out by himself, but that fact was only mildly importantly to him at this point. Right now, he was a man on a mission.

He opened his closet, pulling out what he needed, completely unaware that every decision he made wasn't of his own mind, but was a direct result of the mermaid's tampering in his brain. Her connection was strong, and the mesmerizing was becoming stronger with every step he took to find her. He still had some presence of mind however, as he only planned on taking the oars and leaving behind the outboard motor for official business.

Lee stopped in the middle of reaching for his sweater and froze. He closed his eyes as he felt the Call once again, reveling in the passing euphoria it produced, and then opened his eyes completely unaware of the mermaid's beckoning.

He continued to prepare and divested himself of all his clothes, sliding on his blue swim trunks and looking forward to swimming without a dive suit in the warm tropical waters. Then he pulled on a pair of black slacks and an olive-green sweater he could pull off easily once he reached the island. He stepped into his deck shoes, then pulled out a sea bag, stuffing it with a few things he needed.

Lee stopped and looked over at the desk where he had deposited a special item when he walked in. He walked over almost in a daze and reached for the box thoughtfully, examining its contents before stuffing it into his sea bag. He stopped and ran an anxious hand across his mouth. The need to leave Seaview was becoming strong, almost like he was being tugged by an unseen rope. Still, he had no idea that his actions were being guided by another force. He was still in control of certain decisions; he was by no means a zombie, but he was completely unaware of the siren's call.

Lee stopped and leaned against his desk, analyzing his decision in a fleeting moment of sanity.

 _Was he bucking the Admiral's direct order to go looking for the mermaid? They were just counting seals for goodness sake! Harry said that he wasn't committing_ _Seaview_ _to the venture. So what if he took a little Leave and decided to spend it on the island "fishing"!_

Lee pushed off the desk, fully convinced within himself that he was within his rights to ditch the current mission, take a break and head to the island for a little R & R. He wasn't planning on talking to Harry about his plans, which should have made him stop and question himself, but the pull to find the mermaid was becoming stronger than even his sense of duty. It wasn't that duty wasn't important anymore; it was just that he didn't _know_ what his duty was. She had infiltrated his mind in such a way that his thought patterns had been totally disrupted.

He picked up the sea bag and headed down to the Control Room with the anticipation of seeing the mermaid again becoming the most important thing in his life.

 **VTTBOTS**

"Look Lee, don't you think you'd better inform the Admiral about this?" Chip asked, completely bewildered at his best friend's actions.

"If he asks where I am, tell him," he answered without a care in the world.

"Tell him what? That you jumped ship?! What am I going to tell the Admiral?" Chip continued, having not gotten anywhere with his previous pleas, and desperately trying to talk some sense into his usually level-headed friend.

"I've got a little shore leave coming. Tell him I decided to take it here," he replied with a carefree, whimsical wink and then ascended the ladder with his smile widening with every rung he climbed.

Chip rolled his eyes and blew an "I can't believe this" breath out and then followed his orders, waiting until Lee shoved off and then heading to the next coordinates on their list. At 1800 hours, he would return to the island and collect his wayward captain. He just hoped that the Admiral didn't blow a gasket when he heard about Lee's off-boat excursion.

 **VTTBOTS**

Carista waited until she felt her human leave the vessel and delighted in the fact that he was completely caught within her beckoning spell. The mezmerization was strong; it indicated a man of passion; that was good. Men with such passion had assimilated well into the colony, their passion easily transferred to the delights the mermaids offered their mates. She was an enchantress of sorts, but what she offered wasn't one-sided fulfillment. True, he was being manipulated to hear her call, but she offered true ecstasy as his reward. Humans, who had responded and gave themselves fully to their new lives, were the benefactors of the on-going effects of mesmerizing. It was in fact, an existence of bliss, unaware of the world above or its problems, and rewarded with the same drug-like euphoria he was now experiencing. She didn't offer her call lightly; for once a mermaid committed her love, it was binding.

Judging by his response so far, he would be ready to give himself completely to everything she had to offer. Now, to increase the intensity of the Call, and she knew just how to do it. It was a simple game of hide and seek.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee's euphoria increased as he reached shore. If he had had control of his senses, he would have questioned the increasing fuzziness in his brain, acting like a drug by dolling out a pleasant shot of dopamine as he responded to the beckon. He peeled off his clothes down to his swim trunks and folded them neatly into the raft, secured on the beach for his ride home later. Then placed the small box he had brought into his dive bag. He donned his tanks and fins, and looked out at the sea wistfully. Never once did he question how he would find her in the vastness of the ocean before him. The call was strong; all he had to do was follow. It was like a beacon leading him to straight to her. He took hold of his sea scooter and dove into the lagoon, following her call like a moth drawn to light.

Her call took him to the depths where he had to weave in and out of thick vegetation, then he saw her! His heart beat like a drum in his chest, as he willed himself to calmness. _Follow carefully, Crane,_ he told himself, _don't frighten her away._ He wasn't sure if she knew he was following or not, but he had no trouble keeping up with her. He had the false impression that _he_ was the pursuer, when the opposite was actually the case; in truth, she was leading him back to the grotto.

She stopped, so he quickly hid behind a sea fern, but lost track of her in the process. Just then he spotted the shadow of shark and reversed his sea scooter for a fast retreat. The shark went on its way as he sighed in relief, before spotting the mermaid swimming with the dangerous beast, gliding along while holding its fin.

The danger didn't register, only the intrigue, so he followed the unlikely swimming pair. Her hair danced in the water, it was long and dark brown and framed her face so beautifully. He was highly affected by her pleasant curves, the sea leaves across her bosom were hardly modest and did more to garner his attention than placate it. The more he chased after her, the stronger the effects of her call became. It was so unlike him to be this irresponsible, this impulsive; but the real Lee Crane was currently being high-jacked by the effects of her mesmerizing spell.

His pursuit was more like the complicated mating dances of some fish, as she hid and then revealed herself seductively, nudging his interest on. She took a turn through dense plants and moss, turning on her back to swim and making sure he was adequately attracted. The sea moss and ferns glided gently across her body as she passed, caressing her half-human, half-aquatic body in an almost fondle; the whole scene only stirring his interest further.

He tried to follow through the dense vegetation, but couldn't negotiate it with the sea scooter, so he abandoned it and swam in a mesmerized daze. She slowed her advance, making sure he stayed within sight, before smiling and continuing on, leading him to her destination; a large grotto.

Lee watched from behind the rocks as the mermaid entered the grotto, finding a whole colony of mermaids and mermen.

 _This is what she wanted him to see,_ he realized; _her home_.

The aquatic people weren't fish, but more akin to dolphins which are mammals and seemed to be completely unaware of his presence. He watched her interact with her friends, and saw a community of content, loving people. It was inviting, the whole scene calling to him mysteriously, beckoning him to come join the mermaids in a new life. The thought brought a rewarding shot of dopamine as he blinked and shook his head to clear his mind. He checked the gauge on his tanks and realized that he couldn't stay much longer.

Lee cradled his confused head with the heel of his hand, trying to hold on to the parts of him that made him who he was. He blinked again and turned away from the colony, only to come face to face with the mermaid.

She smiled as her call intensified within him, despite his attempts to break through to his old self. His love of life was strong and he instinctively knew that her call required a sacrifice he wasn't ready to make. He was unable to move, star-struck as her eyes bore into his very soul; and though he could hear no audible words, he knew what she wanted. She wanted him to come with her… to her home… to be like one of them.

 **VTTBOTS**

Carista delighted in her human's pursuit and reveled in the passion inside him. It was time to reveal herself and to offer him a new life. His drug-like state compromised his thinking, but not his heart. His heart was full passion, his interest was piqued and real; this was the place that the siren beckoned. She had shown him all she had to offer. He had felt her pleasant call and the joys of her mesmerizing spell. All he had to do was to let go of his current life and accept the call of his heart. Whether it was fair or not was never a question. She was offering her love; what more could he want but the blissful life she was offering him?

She rounded the rocks where he was hiding, and revealed herself. She could see the struggle in his eyes behind his face mask. His mind was warring with his heart so she decided to help his decision along, leaning forward and nuzzling his neck with soft kisses. He was reluctant at first, but then she felt him draw her near. He removed his air regulator and cupped her face between his hands, lowering his mouth for a kiss. Carista returned his affection, delighted in the belief that he had chosen to give up his lungs for her. She drew back and gazed into his face as he returned his regulator to take a much-needed breath after their heated endearment.

She reached for his hand and gently tugged him toward the grotto, but to her surprise he tugged back. The confusion in his eyes was present again. She was perplexed at just what could be holding him to his life above, and then remembered his will to live and survive when most men would have panicked at their imminent death. Only now did she understand that he wasn't ready… that he'd _never_ be ready. Her father was right. She had misread his love of life, for the all-consuming passion that would allow him to ignore his present duty to the world above in order to accept his new life in the depths.

She caressed his face, then swam away heartbroken, when she suddenly felt the sting of a sharp object, pricking her skin and making her instantly drowsy. She watched him approach and then fell forward into his arms as she gazed into his expressive eyes beneath the mask. Suddenly she understood; he couldn't leave behind _his_ world, but he didn't want to leave _her_ either. Terror struck inside as she realized he was taking her to _his_ world. It was on that thought that her eyes closed, but not before she placed a hand on his bare chest, imparting something to his mesmerized state; something that would ensure her hold over him until she awakened. Then, with her consciousness fading fast, she sent out a distress call.

 **VTTBOTS**

Centurion was patrolling the outer rim of the mermaid's territory when he received the telepathic cry of distress from one of his charges. Her call was faint and fleeting, but he held the connection to follow a trail of sorts and locate the mermaid. He was especially enraged when he realized that the cry for help was from Carista, one of his favorites.

He was a different species than the merman, but was connected to them by duty and loyalty. His job to protect the Colony was commissioned by the merman king himself. There were only a few of his species left, but those who had survived over the years had found shelter and purpose within the Colony. Their relationship was symbiotic in nature; only by working together with merman could they hope to survive and recover as a species. It was therefore imperative that the merman colony remain hidden in the depths. This was one of the reasons he loathed the idea of a mermaid trying to assimilate a human. There was just too much at stake, and now it appeared he was right. Carista's plea included a quick look into her mind, not something the telepathics shared often as privacy was usually obtained only by opening the conversation part of their communication. On this occasion however, she had shown her protector her predicament.

Centurion growled as the picture of Lee Crane flashed in the telepathic communication, recognizing the human Carista had rescued over twelve moon cycles ago. Another flash revealed a strange vessel with windows as Centurion raced to rescue her... two species living at the Grotto were dependent upon his successful retrieval of the captured mermaid. He knew that if the knowledge that they existed was to become known, they would never be safe again; indeed, their very existence depended on his successful mission. As he swam, the basic instincts of survival rushed through him, producing a rage, adding to his already warrior like disposition. His first duty was to Carista, but he also had a very real drive growing within him, to punish the human aggressor who dare lay a hand on a mermaid.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee cradled her for a moment, then slid her under his arm and swam back to his sea scooter. His elation at capturing the mermaid was surreal as he swam in a daze, completely lost in his compromised state. Though the Siren's call had been strong, his will to live, and love of life had managed to keep him planted in the world he knew and loved. The siren's call had created a paradox however, producing an overwhelming desire to be with her, but not negating the fact that he couldn't _stay_ with her. So even though he had been caught in her spell, he had instinctively taken steps to solve the paradox. He couldn't stay in _her_ world, so he would take her to _his_. To this end, he had stopped in Stores on the way back from the Missile Room and obtained a dart gun loaded with a tranquilizer, using the dosage for subduing a dolphin in order to tag it.

He swam until he reached the sea scooter, laying his precious cargo on the moss as he freed the motorized vehicle. When he was through he picked her up and cradled her between his arms as he made his way back to the island, where Seaview would be arriving soon.

All this he did in a daze. He was aware of his surroundings and his decisions, but was unable to accurately discern the correct course of action. Even his strong sense of duty was affected, for she had taken all of life's concerns from him. He was totally… and completely… consumed by the mermaid.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Chip rolled his eyes and expelled a worried breath for Lee's sake. The Admiral had been hopping mad when he informed him that Seaview's Captain had left the boat to go "fishing". Harry had rolled his own eyes in exasperation that Lee couldn't let his mermaid obsession go. He issued a series of orders, complaining loudly about Lee's "personal adventure" and then ordered the first officer to his cabin to discuss the mission. His mood hadn't improved any in his office either, as the Admiral hadn't blown off all his steam where Lee was concerned, snapping at Chip over his question of what the unfriendly nation had to gain by planting the nuclear device. The Exec had thick skin and had bared up well taking Harry's annoyance in stride, all the while concerned that the Admiral was saving up his real ammo for Lee Crane.

Fortunately, his mood softened once he realized that something was wrong with Seaview's captain. Lee had been ordered to the Admiral's office, but proceeded to the Lab with his "catch" instead. Harry rebuffed Chip's offer to find Lee and escort him to his office. He pulled Seaview's orders from his desk and headed to the Lab to talk to Lee himself. To be fair, Lee had no knowledge of the dangerous device planted somewhere in the area. He was sure that Lee's strange behavior would be summarily placed on the back burner once his level-headed friend knew what was at stake.

He arrived at the lab to find Kowalski standing guard and the door locked. Harry knocked.

"Lee, this is Nelson. Open the door," he ordered.

Lee opened the door with a satisfied, if not oddly surreal smile.

"Come in, Admiral," he said, opening the door and inviting Harry in.

"Lee, what is _wrong_ with you?" Harry asked, noting his strange expression.

"Nothing is wrong, Admiral. I've just made the greatest discovery in the history of the sea," he said, pointing Harry to a large specimen tank.

Harry stood amazed, as he viewed the sleeping mermaid. Though he still didn't want to believe it, the proof that they existed was laying right there in front of him, but as much as he wanted to study this fascinating find, he had more important things to attend to. His curiosity for the mermaid would have to wait; they still had the important job of locating the nuclear device. He handed Lee the orders regarding the dangerous bomb and their task of locating and disarming it, but he was oddly unaffected by the contents of the letter.

Harry was flabbergasted, trying desperately to reach his confused captain, but all Lee could do was to stare at the mermaid in the tank. He had to knock some sense into his captain, so he struck Lee in mid-sentence. Lee was completely unaffected as his head whipped to one side. He simply turned his face back to Harry and completed his question without missing a beat, concerned that the tranquilizers might actually hurt the mermaid. It was then that Harry knew that Lee was more than affected... he was _completely_ compromised. He left Lee standing at the specimen tank, staring at the mermaid without any concern for Seaview or her mission.

 **VTTBOTS**

Centurion found the strange vessel, but his connection with Carista wasn't strong enough to pin-point her exact location. He knew that she was aboard and her lack of on-going communication concerned him, adding theories in his mind for what the humans had done to her. His aggression grew to match his rage as he entered the vessel through the pressure hatch, having no mercy on the humans who got in his way. His fury increased, taking over his actions as he tossed the humans out of his way.

His rage was fueled by his lack of perception to Carista's whereabouts, and an ever-growing hatred of the humans who were a constant threat to their survival. His way of thinking was frowned upon in the Colony, he had in fact, worked hard to keep his feelings private, but the truth was; he hated the land dwellers. His species were bi-dwellers, capable of living on both land and the sea, but run-ins with the humans had doomed his people to living entirely underwater and his current quest was giving him an outlet for the rage he had to suppress back at the Grotto.

He was roaming aimlessly looking for her, when he stopped in front of the circuitry room, perceiving the means within would keep the vessel from delivering Carista to the outside world. Within minutes he had accomplished his goal.

 **VTTBOTS**

Carista stirred from her drug induced slumber in the aquarium, sensing her human was near, but kept her wakefulness a secret. Another human entered the lab, diverting Lee's attention momentarily. She took the opportunity to assess his condition and smiled when she confirmed that he was locked firmly within her mesmerizing spell. The one called Admiral, tried to converse with her human when the lights began to flicker. This brought a wry smile as she telepathically perceived Centurion was aboard. That perception was solidified as the effects of his tampering were soon felt when the vessel suddenly began rocking back and forth violently, sending sparks flying in every direction.

Lee was still completely under her spell, having ignored his very strong sense of duty to his vessel and his crew to watch over her. But even _he_ had noticed the lights flickering; she knew he was trying to break out from under her spell. She feared the concern for his vessel's condition was strong enough to pull him out from under her control. But the violent movement of the boat as it slammed into the ocean floor solved that problem for her, as she watched Lee slump to the deck, having received a blow to the head in fray.

The Admiral was dazed but recovered rubbing the back of his neck, then tried to wake Lee who was out cold. The emergency lights were activated and it was apparent they were on the bottom running on the generators. A quick click of the mic told him ship-wide communications was out as well, forcing him to leave Lee behind, as the obvious emergency demanded his attention. He needed to find out what was responsible for the boat's current predicament and left the lab, leaving instructions on the way out for Kowalski to help the Captain to sickbay.

Carista smiled when the Admiral left, finally leaving her alone with her human. She was aware of the guard at the door, but decided to take matters into her own hands. She used her powers to slam the door shut and locked it tight against any further intrusions. Soon Lee would be waking and she was none too happy about being kidnapped and stolen away from her people. Her own anger burned as she lay in the aquarium like one of the fish on display. But the effects of the tranquilizing drug were still in her system, making her weak and tired. So she lay back down to rest, knowing that Lee was isolated from the rest of the humans at present, and fully intending to communicate her displeasure when he woke.

 **VTTBOTS**

 _Strange things were going on aboard Seaview, no doubt about it,_ Sharkey thought as he headed to a weapon's locker to retrieve the laser guns. He shook his head thinking back to the recent events. First, the Skipper brings a big fish aboard, only the scuttlebutt with the deck crew was that it wasn't a fish at all, but a mermaid! _Of course,_ _he_ _didn't believe in such things_ , he looked around for some wood to knock on and then abandoned the futile effort, with a shrug. _And the Skipper was sure acting strange too,_ he continued, _but that wasn't the half of it!_

He had heard a commotion and entered the pressure hatch compartment to find the Admiral dazed and obviously sporting a bum wing. It was then that he learned that there was some strange fish creature running amok aboard Seaview. He didn't have a clue just what the creature looked like, that is until he and a couple of the guys got their sixes kicked but good by the big, green, ugly monster fish. But things got really creepy when doors started shutting and locking by themselves. Even Kowalski saw it!

He reached his destination and pulled the master keys from his pocket, opening the locker and pulling out four laser rifles, then hurried back to the circuitry room where the Admiral was waiting.

"Here you go, Sir," he said, handing off a rifle to the Admiral and disbursing the remaining guns among the other ratings.

They pried open the door and stormed the room coming face to face with the big, ugly fish man. "Whiff" sounds from four laser rifles greeted the monster, subduing it quickly.

"Get it out and strap it down," Harry ordered, handling the fish creature with a cool head, before retrieving the duty tools to see about getting Seaview off the bottom.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee woke up, sporting a headache, which he ignored as he rolled over trying to figure out what he was doing in the Lab. As he stood, he realized he didn't even remember how he got here. He concentrated until the fuzzy events he had participated in slowly began to return, suddenly remembering the mermaid and turning toward the specimen tank.

" _You_ did this to my mind… didn't you?" he asked, his brain clear for the first time since he had first saw her swimming outside Seaview's windows.

Carista stared at him dispassionately, her displeasure fully revealed in her piercing emerald green eyes and her tightly pursed lips.

One by one, his actions returned to him; the orders he had bucked, jumping ship, forgoing his duty and ignoring the very important and dangerous mission Seaview had been given; all to chase after a mermaid like he was in a dazed drunken stupor.

Lee looked around, assessing the boat's condition and recognizing the subdued lights of the emergency generator, berating himself for ignoring his duty while Seaview was in danger; something he never thought would have been possible.

"I'm beginning to remember everything again," he thought out loud. "That fall must have knocked some sense into me," he said, full of self-recrimination.

All the while Carista stared at him, her eyes boring accusations without saying a word.

Just then power was restored as the Admiral's voice rang through-out the boat, urging the crew to turn-to and make every effort to get Seaview off the bottom. Though he knew nothing of Centurion, he realized that the boat's current peril was because of his actions; because he had kidnapped and taken her. She was a sentient being, not a fish to be displayed in a specimen tank, he realized, disappointed with himself.

"All right, I was wrong. I had no right to capture you," he said, taking full responsibility for his actions, even though he had been mesmerized and acted completely out of character. "But don't make the rest of these men pay for my mistake," he pleaded, thinking first of his crew, and then considered the even bigger picture of the mission.

"Look, I'll make a deal with you," he bargained. "I'll set you free. I'll let you go back to where I found you, but you've got to do something for me. You _do_ understand me, don't you?" he asked, knowing she had no trouble communicating with him before when she had played hide and seek behind sea ferns, enticing his interest as he swam the ocean looking for her like a lovesick teen. There was just too much at stake, not only for his world but for _hers_ as well; he _had_ to make her understand.

"Look, someone has placed a bomb on the bottom of the sea. If it ever goes off you'll be killed, you and all your friends in the Grotto," he explained, laying the danger on the line, hoping that even if he didn't deserve her help, that at least her friends did. "Now we've got to find that bomb and disarm it, but we need your help."

Carista listened, noting his passion and concern for _his_ people as well as _hers_. Slowly, she began to let go of her anger, taking her share of the responsibility. _This_ was the human she had come to care for; his passion for life, his deep commitment to his duty… not the dazed man operating out of a mesmerizing stupor. As wrong as it was for him to take her away from her home, and the subsequent humiliation of waking in a specimen tank, she realized she was just as wrong to think that he could be less of man than he was; living a life of bliss, turning his back on his responsibilities and his own people.

"Now if I let you go… will you find it for me?" he asked in an apologetic plea, knowing he had no right to ask, and yet knowing she was their only hope of finding the bomb on time. His actions had put the mission at risk as the Admiral and Chip had dealt with each and every danger and emergency without the Captain of the Boat even lifting one finger to help. But he had no time for guilt, he _had_ to find the bomb and disarm it.

"Just lead us to it," he said, seeing a softening in her eyes. _She understood him, he was sure of it._ "We'll do the rest," he promised, not wanting her to be harmed in the process and feeling as if he was getting through.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee carried Carista through Seaview's corridors, careful to dodge the occasional passing crewman. She snuggled her head on his shoulder as he cradled her in his arms, only adding to his regret that he had snatched from her world. Her call had been strong, and though it had messed with his mind he also knew his heart had been tugged. Still, she belonged to her world and he belonged to his. It still didn't make it any easier when he reached the pressure hatch. He placed her down gently on the grill deck beside the pressure pool and sat down beside her.

"I don't know how to say this," he said, holding her hands in his, "or if you really understand me. I think I know what you wanted, and I was tempted… but I don't belong in your world any more than you belong in mine," he said regretfully. "Now I know you communicated somehow with me before; I knew where to find you. Just lead me to the bomb and I promise to do everything I can to protect your people and mine," he said, his heart still tender for her even though he was no longer caught in her spell. "Be careful out there," he finished clearly finding it hard to say goodbye.

Carista placed her fingers over Lee's lips, silencing his words with her intimate touch. She lingered a moment as their eye contact deepened and then lowered her hand to his chest, where Lee felt a tugging from his memories and placed a hand over hers.

"You don't have to do that. I would never tell anyone about the Grotto," he assured.

Carista smiled, though she knew it was true she had a responsibility to her people. Somehow, Lee realized this and lowered his hand as she tugged the memory of the Grotto's location from him, leaving the rest of his experience intact. She didn't remove her "connection" yet, as he would need that to follow her and smiled weakly. She couldn't help but love him, though she too knew he was right. She nodded her readiness as he picked her up and lowered her into the moon pool. They held on for a moment longer as he lowered her in the water by a strong hand grasp. His eyes revealed an affected heart, softened by her beauty, but his mind was sound and his duty clear. Her own eyes echoed his, as she nodded and he released her to the depths.

 **VTTBOTS**

Lee stood, staring down at the moon pool a moment trying to put his strong emotions into place; full of regret for his actions and yet sorrowed by her absence, he suspected the latter was still a result of the connection she still held over him, at least partially. A mermaid is a mermaid, and a human is a human. The only way they could be together was for one of them to give up who they were. It was an impossibility that he knew all too well. He stood there wondering how much of his emotions were still being affected by the siren, when he heard a strange sound.

He turned to investigate, following the noise to an adjacent corridor. The strange sound stopped before he could ascertain its direction as he stopped and listened, then continued down the corridor. Whatever it was it would have to wait, he was the captain and he had a job to do.

Just then he was shocked and completely taken by surprise when something tore through the bulkhead, broadsiding him with its sheer power.

 **VTTBOTS**

 **A/N Thanks for sticking with me, we're almost there as I add some new insight to this familiar episode. I'll be posting the final two chapters this afternoon. Subjockey**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **VTTBOTS**

Centurion began to claw his way back from the drugged oblivion he was under, when he realized that he wasn't alone. He allowed the human to move closer before he broke free from the feeble straps binding him to the table. His rage instantly piqued once again, reaching the levels of his ever-growing hatred for humans as he attacked the curious rating who had bucked his orders, having been left to stand guard and notify the control room at the slightest stirring of the creature. But his curiosity got the better of him and he was now paying for it as the creature took out all his fury at being captured on the poor soul. He overtook the crewman and pounded on him mercilessly, throwing him back against the wall when he almost made it to the door.

Centurion's rage overtook him, ignoring even the strong connection he now had with the conscious mermaid. His primal aggressive instincts, however, took precedence over his thinking, suppressing his ability to use his telepathy effectively. He should have stopped as soon as he realized Carista was conscious, reached out to her, and made his way to rescue her; but his rage was out of control. Without mercy, he poured all his fury onto the crewman until the man slid down the wall in a heap.

He stood over his victim, but his rage needed a further outlet as he began to tear the room apart. Suddenly, he stopped and cocked his head as his rage tuned into the human who had captured Carista. There was no grace for the fact that he had been mesmerized by her spell; Centurion only knew his hatred for the human called Crane. His senses sharpened, like a panther about to pounce on his prey, until Crane moved close enough, then burst through the solid wall, tearing away the sheet metal as if bursting through paper.

Crane was caught completely off guard as Centurion slammed him against the wall, and then picked him up, intending to give him a fitting death; crushed by the pressures of the sea, like the first crewman he had killed. He carried the human as he fought violently, which only fueled the primal aggressive instincts of the fish creature. He roared his displeasure at the constant blows Crane threw as he made his way to the pressure hatch. Suddenly, Centurion heard Carista call, he wanted to ignore her, but his protective duties finally began to take precedence over his rage. He would have to deal with Crane later, so he released the human, but not before issuing heavy blows to his mid-section and back, bludgeoning him with his powerful fists, using them as clubs against his hapless victim.

Crane crumbled to the deck as Centurion left him to look for Carista, unfortunately, the fish creature's unchecked aggression clouded his perception of her whereabouts, honing in instead on Carista's last position, the Admiral's Lab.

 **VTTBOTS**

Harry found Lee, recovering from his run-in with the fish creature and was relieved to see that he had lost the glassy, lost look of his earlier spell-bound state. Though he had been knocked around, Lee was back to his old self, refusing medical care in order to deal with the creature. They tracked Centurion to the pressure hatch after he destroyed the Lab and attacked another crewman, surmising that the creature had finally realized that the mermaid was no longer aboard.

Back in the Control Room, Harry had a lot of questions for Lee, but right now their job was to find the nuclear device. He laughed, as Lee explained that the mermaid had agreed to help them find the bomb, with the thought of writing a report to include her participation sitting sourly in his stomach.

Lee persisted and Harry was forced to relent when the mermaid suddenly revealed herself in Seaview's window, urging the vessel to follow her.

Harry shook his head, giving into the much-needed help of the mythical creature, while Lee beamed, as his "professional help" proved she was the ace-in-the-hole they needed to find the dangerous device.

 **VTTBOTS**

"What if she's not out there?" Chip asked, knowing that their detection equipment would be unable to locate the elusive device and that they were relying completely on the mermaid to pin point it for them. She had led them to this spot and then disappeared from the window, presumably waiting to guide Lee to the bomb and fulfill his promise to protect her people from the dangerous device.

"She's there," Lee said, tugging his wet suit over his shoulders, trying to avoid wincing at his sore ribs, while Chip ignored the bruises on his side. "I'm still connected to her somehow," he explained, holding up a hand to dissuade his friend's concern. "She's not in control, but I'll be able to find her," he added with confidence.

Chip leaned a little closer, careful to keep his question private. "Are you really okay for this dive?" he asked, knowing that Lee had blacked out for a short time when the sea creature attacked him, normally that fact alone would have negated his participation in a dive as a safety issue.

"I'm fine, besides, we have no choice. If that bomb isn't neutralized then best case scenario, the Conference loses faith and stops the reduction negotiations; worst case scenario... we lose half of the West Coast," he explained, laying it on the line.

Chip nodded his agreement. "I'll take care of things here, you just be careful out there."

"Thanks Chip."

 **VTTBOTS**

The dive party's job was to deactivate the device and they had been briefed to wait until the mermaid made contact with Lee; even Ski, his dive partner, was to stay behind so that she wouldn't be frightened away.

Lee followed the mermaid's call, swimming around sea ferns and rocks to find Carista waiting for him. He nodded his appreciation as she turned, leading him to the device, hidden in a sea valley which would have been most difficult to find on their own. She turned and nodded that she had kept her part of the "deal".

"Thank you," he said, as she swam away.

"Admiral, I can see the device, I'm sending you the coordinates."

"Very well, Lee, the divers are in the water now, and your help?" Harry asked cryptically.

"She's gone."

"Very well, we'll send Kowalski on to meet you."

 **VTTBOTS**

Centurion watched from his position behind the rocks, Carista had informed him of her plan to help the humans. She urged him to return to the Grotto, but he had chosen to stay and make sure she was well protected. It took all the self-control he had to not follow Crane when he was first to exit the vessel, as Carista's soft spot for him irritated the fish creature. He had lived a long time burying his hatred for the humans, and was finding it difficult to return to his role of Protector. Nevertheless, he didn't move on Crane, knowing that Carista was still connected to him, and monitored the vessel instead. He was aware of Carista's mission to find the device, but his hatred for the humans had been stirred and he was like a stoked fire, burning out of control.

Carista informed Centurion that Crane had found the device and urged him to retreat, but when he saw the second set of divers his aggression took over once again; growling and advancing upon Seaview's men with renewed fervor.

Carista was watching Lee from afar when she felt Centurion's rage. Reaching out with her mind she saw him attacking the divers with the sensitive equipment required to disarm the bomb.

" _No, Centurion!"_ she called through her mind, but he ignored her telepathic call, pouring out his rage now that the humans were in his domain.

" _No, Centurion. Please no!"_

She wanted to stop him, but Centurion's primal thoughts were no longer concealed and she feared for Lee's safety. With his mind now exposed, she realized that in his search for her, two men had died violently at his hands.

Her heart sank further when she realized that he had just injured the divers and in his rage, destroyed the equipment. Then she felt his rage turn back on Lee and shuddered at his desire to kill him as well. Devastated, she decided to intercept Centurion, and started swimming toward him in the hopes she could end his violent acts with reason. She was still monitoring Centurion's thoughts when he received a laser blast that sent him floating down to the sea floor. She stopped her forward motion and listened for his thoughts, finding nothing; not even the brain pattern of an unconscious state.

Centurion was dead, consumed by his own hatred and violence.

Her heart broke at the thought that his hatred had overtaken him and even endangered Lee's mission to save both of their people. There was nothing she could do for Centurion now, so she swam back to her hidden position to watch Lee. She was both proud and concerned that he had stayed in harm's way to disarm the bomb himself and watched as he worked through a series of instructions until she felt his tension release, realizing that the bomb was disarmed.

His elation was tempered by his strong self-control, but she could feel that he was pleased and relieved. She still had something that needed to be done so she waited until Lee and the other diver started back to the vessel before revealing herself.

"Whoa!" Kowalski exclaimed, spotting the mermaid up ahead and definitely taken aback by the enticing sight.

"Go on ahead, Ski. I'll be there shortly," Lee ordered, and then turned off his radio to keep their encounter private. He swam toward her and smiled a greeting.

"Thank you," he offered sincerely. "The bomb is disarmed... your people are safe now."

Her eyes were expressive, revealing her strong feelings for him as well as her regret for what she now knew needed to be done, reaching and placing a hand on his chest. Lee was perplexed; she had already removed the Grotto's location and feared she was removing all his memories. She smiled, understanding his fear, and pleased that he didn't want to lose the experience of meeting her; but it wasn't his memories she removing. She continued the process as Lee blinked while she removed her "call", the connection that would make it possible to beckon him again. Lee gasped as the removal of her call left an empty spot that momentarily felt cold and void. With the beckoning removed, he knew that he would never be able to sense her again, feeling instant regret, though he knew it was the right course of action, then smiled his appreciation, knowing that she had set him free from her control; but she wasn't through yet. Her brown hair danced in the current around her head as she reached up and placed two fingers on his forehead. This she would leave as her parting gift to him.

He blinked, his expression reflecting his instant question in a bewildered whisper. "It was _you_?"

With that she intervened, sending him into an instant slumber as Lee fell backwards onto the sand. She hovered over him, saying her goodbyes with a soft caress to his face and knowing that she would no longer be able to watch him. His vessel would pass by her part of the ocean and she would never know; she had released him fully back to his world.

He was vulnerable and needed assistance, so she swam toward the second diver who had obediently swam far enough away to give them privacy. She flashed her tail, startling Kowalski as he realized that the mermaid had moved on. Then watched as he turned, calling for his commanding officer, and then swimming back to lend his aid when he got no response.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Lee woke to the subdued lighting of sickbay. He was tucked into a bunk in scrubs and remembered that he had blacked out while communicating with the mermaid. He closed his eyes and searched his inner thoughts for any sign of her call, then opened them again realizing that she had completely withdrawn. He lay there not indicating to the corpsman on duty that he was awake so that he could think things through. He remembered the cold, empty feeling after she removed her beckon and noted that there was no hint of that feeling now, realizing that the mesmerizing had placed him in high state of infatuation. With the beckon gone, he could now articulate his emotions correctly; she was beautiful and intriguing, but he wasn't in love with her. Still, it was hard not to miss her, especially with the new knowledge she had imparted. He smiled at the thought of actually meeting a mermaid and marveled at the crazy adventures he had had since joining Seaview's crew and knew without a doubt, that he wouldn't have traded this one for anything.

He was still tired and decided to give Jamieson the gift of a cooperative patient, instead of skipping out of sickbay; besides, Will had wisely hidden his robe and he wasn't going to walk Seaview's corridors in scrubs. He snuggled back into his pillows and blew out a cleansing breath, then reached over and touched the bulkhead, soaking in the feel of his boat, gauging her present status as stationary, apparently awaiting orders from Washington before moving on from the area.

"Good night, Girl," he said affectionately, patting the bulkhead and closing his eyes, extremely pleased to be back to the life he loved so much. He felt completely at peace, allowing himself to slip back into a restful sleep.

 **VTTBOTS**

"This just in," Harry said, handing Lee a radio dispatch. "Personal congratulations from ONI for a job well-done."

Lee read over the dispatch and tossed it light-heartedly on the table.

"I have a feeling it's made out to the wrong person," he said, knowing that without the mermaid's help, they would have likely never found the bomb.

Harry laughed, they had already discussed the issue and both had agreed that reporting the mermaid's participation wouldn't be wise or beneficial to either their credibility, or the mermaid's way of life.

Lee sighed and then turned very introspective as Harry leaned forward, furling his brow at Lee's apparent troubled mood.

"What's wrong, Lee?" Harry asked quietly to keep their conversation from carrying into the Control Room.

"Her name was Carista," he said staring out the window, and revealing the secret the mermaid had imparted, "and she was the 'angel' that saved my life last year."

Harry moved through several expressions before nodding his understanding.

"That makes sense now," he replied with a nod.

"I didn't have a chance to thank her, Harry. She just imparted the knowledge and then I blacked out."

They both sat in silence for a moment as the weight of that day rushed back in, with Lee reliving the dreadful feeling of sucking on an empty air tank and Harry remembering the pain of believing that Lee was dead.

"I think that's the way she wanted it, Lee; but from what you told me, Lad, I'd say she already knew," Harry answered, trying to ease his concern.

Lee looked up and smiled, adding a shrug of his shoulders.

"At least now we know," he said, letting his melancholy go and accepting Harry's wise words.

"Then for her sake and all the others in the Grotto, we need to keep telling ourselves... she's only a myth," Harry said with a smile.

"Or an angel," Lee replied, returning Harry's grin, and filing the memory of Carista into a special place deep within him.

 **VTTBOTS**

Carista watched wistfully as the windowed vessel moved gracefully along the surface of the ocean. She heaved her shoulders in a silent sigh, content to let him go and satisfied that she had done the right thing in releasing him from her mesmerizing charm. Suddenly, she flipped, splashing her tail on the surface before disappearing into the depths as the "myth" returned to the Grotto with the pleasant memory of her encounter with Lee Crane tucked neatly into her heart.

 **The End**

Episode Credit: _The Mermaid_ , S3E77 by William Welch

 **A/N - Thanks to all the readers for letting me "fill in the blanks" on this well-known and beloved episode. I hope you enjoyed the ride and will join me for another voyage soon. Until then, may the joy of the season be yours. Subjockey**


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